We are fortunate to have five dedicated members of our community who provide oversight and accountability for Watsonville Community Hospital. They currently serve on both the hospital board and the Pajaro Valley Health Care District board.

Pajaro Valley Health Care District Hospital Corporation, dba Watsonville Community Hospital

The legal name of Watsonville Community Hospital is Pajaro Valley Health Care District Hospital Corporation, which was created on May 11, 2022 to act on behalf of the Pajaro Valley Health Care District, a political subdivision of the state of California. The Pajaro Valley Health Care District Hospital Corporation performs the essential government function of operating Watsonville Community Hospital and other related ancillary services and outpatient clinics; and promotes the health and welfare of the general public, particularly those individuals residing in the Pajaro Valley community.

Watsonville Community Hospital is a public, non-profit community healthcare provider; a 106-bed acute care facility serving Watsonville and the surrounding culturally diverse tri-county area along California’s Central Coast. The hospital offers a wide range of quality medical and surgical services including cardiac care, diagnostic imaging, emergency services, maternity services, orthopedics, pediatrics, rehabilitation services, robotic surgery, urology, vascular surgery, women’s health services, and wound care. With 650 employees and more than 300 physicians, the hospital strives to exceed patient expectations, deliver the highest quality care, and be a place of healing, caring and connection for patients and families in the community we call home.

Our History

Watsonville Community Hospital has been an indispensable part of life in the Pajaro Valley for more than a century. The hospital was founded in 1895 by Dr. P.K. Watters and opened in a five-bedroom home at Third and Alexander Streets in Watsonville. In 1897, the hospital outgrew the first site and moved nearby to 123 Third Street. Incorporated in 1902, it continued growing and by 1938 moved again to a building on Monte Vista Street with a capacity for 39 patients. The Monte Vista Street location almost doubled in size to 77 beds, but eventually the community’s needs were too great and it was time to move again. This time, the Board of Directors decided to contstruct its own building and launched a fundraising drive in 1965 with a goal of $600,000 toward the estimated $3.2 million needed. The new hospital was opened in 1969, thanks to the community’s generosity as well as federal funding, with 125 full-time anbd 25 part-time employees. After suffering substantial damage in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the Hospital moved to its current location on Airport Boulevard. With construction financed by federal and state grants made available through its non-profit status as well as robust community fund raising efforts, the move allowed the Hospital to continue to grow and meet the increasing needs of an evolving community. In 1998, the Hospital was sold to a private entity and the proceeds placed into a Trust (Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley). This began more than two decades of for-profit corporate operations, which included significant ownership and administrative turnover.

In January 2022, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital owners filed for bankruptcy. Local partners and community members recognized the valuable role the hospital plays in supporting the health and vitality of the Pajaro Valley, and rallied to save the hospital. An unprecedented fundraising campaign and support from local legislators ensured the hospital doors would remain open. In order to form a healthcare district and acquire Watsonville Community Hospital, urgency legislation — Senate Bill 418 — was brought forward by State Senator Laird and coauthored by then California State Assembly members Robert Rivas, Mark Stone, and Senator Anna Caballero. The bill was passed unanimously by the Assembly and Senate, and on Friday, February 4, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the legislation into law. The District itself was created by the Pajaro Valley Health Care District Project, a collaboration between the County of Santa Cruz, the City of Watsonville, Salud Para La Gente and the Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley. Working together, these entities saved Watsonville Community Hospital from bankruptcy and established public oversight of the hospital through the Pajaro Valley Health Care District. The District’s borders run from the Aptos area in the north to the town of Pajaro in the south, spanning two counties and serving a diverse population of residents. The PVHCD Board recognizes that health outcomes are directly impacted by social determinants of health such as race and ethnicity, living conditions, occupation, documentation status, zip code and income. Watsonville Community Hospital serves many areas where these factors, if unaddressed, can lead to poor health care outcomes. A balanced healthcare infrastructure in Santa Cruz County, including the long-term viability of Watsonville Community Hospital, is essential to addressing these disparities.